Dr. John Thomas Palmer

Dr. John Palmer was peacefully taken into the arms of his Lord and Saviour on Sept. 16, 2024 at the age of 77 in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. John faithfully loved and served his family, and used his gifts to glorify God as he practiced dentistry and then counselling later in his career. In his lifetime, John lived on five continents, and was dedicated to being a lifelong learner, listening well, and helping others. John loved theology, and had a particular affection for any books by N.T Wright. He had a wry British sense of humour and enjoyed fellowship, especially with his men’s prayer breakfast friends.

John was born in Medellin, Colombia on Nov. 11, 1946, the son of missionary parents Rev. John T. Palmer and Beatrice Palmer (nee Blackstock). John graduated from the University of Dundee in Scotland in 1973 with a doctorate of dental surgery and spent part of the first year of his career in Ethiopia doing dental missions. John continued his work in Manchester, UK, before emigrating to Canada in 1976 and established a dental practice with two Scottish colleagues in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

John met Linda while she was working in his office and they were married April 12, 1980. They had four children, three daughters and a son. In 1994, they moved to Abbotsford, BC to begin John’s second career, where he attended Trinity Western University and completed his Master’s in Counselling Psychology. John spent the next eighteen years of his career working closely with the British Columbia Dental Association (BCDA), taking the lead on the organization’s Dental Profession Advisory Program, where he counselled many dental professionals and their families through addictions, trauma and personal crises. John was honoured by both the BCDA and Canadian Dental Association with prestigious recognitions for his service to the dental community. It was fitting for John to blend his two areas of expertise together in a way to help others, while he developed a reputation for his empathetic listening and kind, polite manner.

The family would like to thank the staff at Valhaven Home for their care in John’s final years following his diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease.

John deeply loved his family and is survived by his loving wife Linda, children Sarah Jane (Jamie), Daniel, Anna (Jacob), and Alexandra (Blake), grandchildren Ari, Hudson, Thijs, Case, Joshua, Ethan, and Charlotte. He will be sadly missed by his two sisters Dorothea (Michael) and Sonia (Simon — predeceased), nephews Alex, Tim, Ben, Jonathan, and Jeremy, cousins, as well as Linda’s extended family, and friends worldwide.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, October 25, 2024 at 11am at Northview Community Church, 32040 Downes Road, in Abbotsford, BC. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, his family respectfully requests that donations be made in John’s name to the Parkinson Society British Columbia.